


When I'm here with you

by orphan_account



Series: Secret lovers [3]
Category: Cycling RPF
Genre: Cyclocross;, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:22:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24678391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: A song as a chapter title? How old are you? 21?
Relationships: Wout van Aert/Mathieu van der Poel
Series: Secret lovers [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1455331
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	When I'm here with you

**Author's Note:**

> A song as a chapter title? How old are you? 21?

_“They told me I’d forget about you; that I’d move on but it’s been three years and here I am"_

The door fell shut behind Mathieu and even the DJ had stopped playing. The room was dead silent and Wout didn’t like this. Mathieu had stormed in, made a scene and it was now up to him to fix everything. This didn’t seem fair. All eyes were on him and Sarah, the loud sound of Sarah slapping Wout's cheek filled the room seconds after. People were whispering and watching Wout and Sarah’s every move. Wout felt bad for Joris, no one likes his wedding party ruined like that.

“You’re cheating on me with him again?” The words were loud in the silent room, although after Sarah’s words silent wasn’t the right word anymore. While Wout was processing what was going on, he could hear people whispering around him. “Honey, you know you’re the only one.” He tried. It was true, three years ago he’s consciously made the choice to go on with Sarah and stop his relationship with Mathieu. He didn’t tell Sarah about it, but he didn’t have to.

It turned out that, whatever Wout was going to say, it wasn’t going to change anything about Sarah being furious. He deserved this somewhat, but not like this and not right here. “You think I didn’t know? How long Wout? How long has it being going on again?” She pushed against him. Wout felt her taking hold of his shirt, before she let go a few seconds later. “Not! Sarah, calm down!” He took hold of her forearms. Trying to keep her close to him, trying to get her to calm down. “Do you think I’m a fool?” The light in his wife her eyes was lit, the same fire he had fallen in love it.

Sarah struggled free from his touch and turned around to find Roxanne standing in the crowd. She strode towards the other girl and Wout caught David his eyes. The older man just shook his head at him, disappointment in his eyes. Great the only one that knows the full story of this has also turned against him.

“Why are you not saying anything, you knew about this?” Sarah now confronted Roxanne, they never really got along. “Causing a scene about it at someone else’s wedding won’t change anything about your husband cheating on you, sweet precious Sarah.” Roxanne bit back, Wout sees why she’s a girl Mathieu can like. “And you, you should be ashamed of yourself! Covering for your brother while he’s in bed with my husband, you’re no better than him.” “If you’d actually sometimes listen to your husband, first of all he shouldn’t have to do it. Plus you would know he ended things with Mathieu years ago. You’re blaming all of us because my brother is having an episode? Says a lot about you misses Van Aert.” David was tired of this, the guy couldn’t really stand a lot of drama.

“This is bullshit” she said before turning on her heals and running through the same door as Mathieu had just stormed out. Wout wasn’t gonna run after her, especially since he hadn’t ran after Mathieu either. And he’s not too prone on choosing on over the other in this current moment. If he should worry about anyone it wouldn’t be Sarah, she would be fine. Wout just shook his head and realized everyone was still looking at him. “For your information, I’m not cheating on my wife. Show’s over now.” The music started again and Wout had no idea what to do.

It was David who came up to him and nudged him to the side of the hall so they could talk. “Who of the 2 are you going to go after?” he asked. Wout huffed, as if he would. “None, they’re both being very childish.” David nodded af if he was agreeing. “It was very painful to watch, that’s true. But you can’t pretend that it didn’t happen because you stopped it. You hurt my brother about as much as you hurt your wife, if not more.” Wout knew he hurt Mathieu, but he never knew the other guy would still be so upset. Then again, it's his brother telling him that. Of course he's gonna pick Mathieu's side.

“I’m not gonna apologize to him for the choice I made, I should’ve never went with what he was doing in the first place. It’s just-“ Wout shuddered when the feeling overtook him again, he had tried to supress what he felt for Mathieu or what he had felt over the years. But all of this happening tonight, took him back to that place. “The way I used to feel when I was with him, I could fight it until he came back again and then I caved for him over and over again.” Wout tried to even his breathing, this is not happening. He's not gonna fall for him again, is he?

“You can’t blame me for ending it, I was ready to drop everything for him. But he never treated me as his first choice, how am I supposed to do the same with him? I have a family now. A good father, that’s the man I want to be.” Wout realised that he mainly had been talking to himself. “I’m not saying it’s easy, but running away from your problems won’t help to solve them. And right now it’s your responsibility to fix this.” David walked away after saying it and Wout could see him taking Roxanne's arm and leaving the building with her.

David is right, staying here and acting as if this was just something happening to him wasn’t the right thing to do either. He wasn’t gonna believe the illusion that Roxanne was going to look out for Mathieu now. If anyone needed Wout to be there right now, it was Mathieu. Wout made a mental note to send Joris another very big wedding present and went outside again. Alone this time. Of course Sarah had driven off with their car so all he had was his phone and wallet.

Luckily, it didn’t take Mathieu long to pick up his phone. Wout was somewhat relieved, it meant that he hadn’t gotten in his car in the state that he was in. Plus, he couldn’t be that far away either. “You’re gonna go and tell me to fuck off via the phone as well now?” Mathieu slurred in the phone the second he picked up. Wout shook his head, this wasn’t how this conversation was gonna go. “I can end this conversation right now if that’s what you want.” The other side of the line fell silent, the only thing Wout could hear were Mathieu his quick and uneven breaths.

“I’m sorry I made you feel that way tonight. You were clearly unhappy and reaching out for me and I wasn’t there. But dear god, what you did isn’t how adults react.” Wout walked around the building so the people smoking outside wouldn’t have to know that it’s not his wife he’s reaching out to. “I’m sorry” said a weak voice in his ear, Mathieu sounded very innocent and small. There was a tremble in his voice that Wout hadn’t heard much of before. “I know you are.” Wout his tone was matching the softness of Mathieu’s now. He didn’t know how or why, but it’s as if he can never really stay mad when it comes to Mathieu.

“I’m coming toward you now. Can you describe where you are?” “There are a lot of houses, not really anything specific.” Wout let go of a sigh. “Send me your live location. Stay there, sit down and wait for me. We need to be there for each other.” Mathieu did what Wout told him to do and it surprised Wout to see that Mathieu was on a 20 minute walking distance from him, he must have been running.

20 minutes is a long walk in the cold, now Wout wished he had more to drink before. But at the same time he’s glad he’s sober enough to act responsibly. Mathieu was right, he had wandered right into a suburban neighbourhood. So it was a bit of an odd sight to spot a strayed man sitting down on the curb in front of a big mansion. “Oh Mathieu, what do you do to me?” Wout crouched in front of him to take him in his arms.

Mathieu wasn’t wearing any jacket so he was shivering beneath the thin white shirt he was wearing. “You’re the greatest thing that has happened to me.” He sounded soft and vulnerable. Mathieu tried to stay still not to knock over Wout, but still searched for the warmth in his arms. Wout who was warmed up from walking for a long time sat down next to the younger man and took off his own jacket to drape it over Mathieu his shoulders. He could see the stain of tears apparent on his cheeks. The oh so beautiful and always put together Mathieu Van der Poel looked broken and defeated. Wout draped his shoulder around Mathieu who leaned into the touch.

“You can literally run in and ruin my life and I’ll still reach out to you afterwards.” Wout said kissing the top of Mathieu his head. “I hope you haven’t chosen me over your daughter.” Mathieu whispered. “I haven’t and I never will. It’ll never be Eloise versus you, it’s Mathieu versus Sarah and I’ve made that choice before.” “You made the right choice” Mathieu chirped in, it made Wout shake his head.

He placed another kiss ont he top of Mathieu his hair. “That’s bold of you to say Van der Poel. But to be honest, I’m not sure if I did.” They fell silent and Wout felt Mathieu calm down in his arms. The cold wind was also getting to him now and Wout knew they couldn’t stay there. “I’m gonna order an Uber to get us away from here.” Wout reached into the inner pocket of the jacket Mathieu was now wearing. It looked a bit big on him and Wout couldn’t deny that he looked adorable “And then?” “We’ll get some sleep, sober up and talk about it.”

“Why are you here, why me?” Wout let go of a chuckle and pushed Mathieu even closer. “Because believe it or not. After you stormed out, Sarah caused even more of a scene. Plus I know she’ll be fine.” Wout felt the warmth of Mathieu his breathe against his skin. It felt weirdly intimate. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if anything happened to you.” he whispered it, as if it was a secret only shared between the two of them. Mathieu kissed the exposed skin closed to his face, his eyes closed.

When Wout got up this morning he didn’t think he’d be sitting in a random street in Nijmegen now with a sleeping Mathieu Van der Poel in his arms. But at the same time, there are worse places he could be now.


End file.
